While this polar bear could simply make a meal out of you, one bite of his liver could possibly be sufficient to ship you to the hospital. Liver has lengthy been a staple in lots of diets. Deep-fried chicken livers are a favourite in elements of the American South. In Japan, you can order a heaping serving to of sashimi made with uncooked fish liver. As scrumptious (or disgusting) as some of these dishes may sound to you, not each chook, fish or mammal necessarily presents the perfect substances for a culinary masterpiece. Journey to Germany and you may feast on conventional liverwurst. The native peoples of the Arctic have by no means shied away from cooking up some polar bear stew, but they've lengthy known to keep away from consuming the livers of assorted arctic creatures. The truth is, should you ever have the chance to strive polar bear liver, assume twice -- it could be the last meal you ever eat. Western explorers, however, realized the exhausting method. Perhaps the most horrific symptom they encountered was peeling skin. Even the thick skin on the bottoms of a patient's ft could peel away, leaving the underlying flesh bloody and uncovered. The worst instances ended in liver damage, hemorrhage, coma and dying. These explorers suffered from small teddy bear online acute hypervitaminosis A, a situation ensuing from the overconsumption of vitamin A during a brief time period. While milder circumstances merely concerned flaking around the mouth, some accounts reported instances of full-body skin loss. The polar bear's liver, very similar to these of arctic seals and huskies, incorporates extraordinarily high ranges of retinol (the form of vitamin A present in members of the animal kingdom). On the subsequent page, we'll discover why polar bears carry around so much vitamin A of their livers and the way crucial their retinol tolerance is to their survival. While some vitamins dissolve in water, vitamin A solely dissolves in fat. Instead, it collects in the body's filtration organ, the liver, where it could possibly reach toxic ranges. Vitamin A is a vital building block for a lot of animals. This means that, in contrast to different vitamins, excess vitamin A doesn't exit the physique in urine. Humans only require it in very small amounts, nevertheless it performs a vital position in eyesight, reproduction, fetal growth, progress, immune response and the cellular formation of tissue. Vitamin A tolerability in humans varies relying on age, gender and physical condition. Without enough vitamin A in your system, you can easily find yourself going through signs just as unhealthy as these associated with hypervitaminosis A. Deficiencies can lead to dry pores and skin, diarrhea, blindness, growth retardation and even dying. We usually absorb it by means of the consumption of foods resembling spinach, broccoli, eggs, milk and various meats. The truth is, their physiology advanced to tolerate so much vitamin A for only one purpose: to eat seals. Like many animals, polar bears benefit from conserving a specific amount of vitamin A in their system, however there's nothing to indicate they really require such giant quantities. In case you ate a bearded seal's liver, you'd suffer from hypervitaminosis A, however the polar bear can tolerate and benefit from the feast. The seals retailer high levels of vitamin A so as to swiftly develop and nourish their younger in a harsh, chilly setting. In the wild, polar bears feed nearly exclusively on bearded seals and ringed seals, both of which store high levels of vitamin A of their livers and blubber. Remember, vitamin A performs a key role in progress and natal development. So if the blue plate special at your favorite diner is ever sautéed polar bear liver, you might simply wish to keep on with a salad. The seals rely on this vitamin to rapidly advance them through their weak pup stages. Explore the hyperlinks on the subsequent page to study extra about vitamin A and polar bear liver. One polar bear liver typically comprises as a lot vitamin A as seventy nine to a hundred and fifteen rooster eggs. That award-successful meal comes in at practically twice the tolerable upper limits of human vitamin A consumption. What does international warming should do with the decline in the polar bear inhabitants? Brown, Dan. "Vitamin A Toxicity." Cornell College Division of Animal Science. AZA Bear Tag. "Polar Bear (Ursus maritimus)." Association of Zoos and Aquariums Standardizes Animal Care Pointers. Eliasen, Mogens. "The Dangerous(?) Vitamin A." K9joy Training. Higdon, Jane. "Vitamin A." Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University. Hicks, R. Marian. "The scientific basis for relating to vitamin A and its analogues as anti-carcinogenic brokers." Proceedings of the Nutrition Society. International federation of Aggressive Eating. Lintzenich, Barbara, et al. Brookfield Zoo Conservation Biology and Analysis Middle. Canadian Journal of Zoology. Penniston, Kristina L. and Sherry A. Tanumihardjo. Mos, Lizzy and Peter S. Ross. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. The University of Cambridge Dunn Nutritional Laboratory and Medical Research Council. Rodahl, Ok. and T. Moore. Slaughter, Kip. E-mail interview.
